Shadows of the Night
by Gravity In the Air
Summary: "To reunite the lands and the people, to free the wolves, the heir of the first White princess shall wed the current heir to the Mills Kingdom. They shall be tied in magic and true love. The lands shall reunite, and magic and wolf alike will be free to roam as they were meant. They shall bring peace to the lands once more." Werewolf Savior Emma. Queen Regina. Enchanted Forest EU
1. Chapter 1

i don't own ouat. yadda yadda

 ** _SQSQSQ_**

 _It is rumoured that humans are all descendants of wolves. As the humans started evolving, some found they would transition between the two with the phases of the moon. They became known as moon children, and later as werewolves. Many humans lost the ability to connect to their wolf as time went on. It led to the jealous and fearful persecuting the wolves. Wolves and moon children alike were hunted and slaughtered. The battle divided everyone into sides, including best friends and rulers of all the lands, Isidore White and Evander Mills._

 _There were many kingdoms with several smaller royal family rulers. They all reported to King Isidore and King Evander. The two best friends were the oldest known rulers, and were thus appointed rulers over all. The land was divided in half officially as to which rulers answered to who. Unofficially, there was a peace treaty to rule jointly. As the wolf issue become more and more prominent, it split the best friends apart. The more tumultuous the wolf debate, the more magic users lashed out on the wolves' behalf._

 _Evander Mills and his wife Clara were in favour of saving the magic users and the moon children. He still had the gift of being connected to his wolf. He fought valiantly that the wolves were ancestors, and family didn't murder family. He wanted to foster a sense of equality and civility between magic on nonmagic inhabitants._

 _Isidore White and his wife Sylvi wanted all magic users and moon children destroyed. They didn't view the wolves as ancestors, but as monsters who wouldn't hesitate to murder them. Kill first to avoid being killed was their motto. Isidore's wolf wanted to connect. The White Wolf was one of the strongest wolves in history, the alpha of alphas. Isidore, however, wanted nothing to do with the wolf._

 _The difference of opinions divided the unified kingdoms into two warring lands. The kingdoms split down the middle of Mist Haven. Evander sealed his borders with magic, vowing all who sought refuge would have sanctuary within the borders. Isidore set up round the clock guards at the border to dispose of any magical beings or moon children that ventured past the border._

 _The two men grew old and bitter, vengeance nearly destroying both kingdoms and its occupants. For a century, the elders watched as more and more wolves were forced to be dormant or into hiding. War, famine, strife. They decided to restore peace once again for future generations. Just before the men died, a prophecy was given by the mother faery, Maia. 'To reunite the lands and the people, to free the wolves, the heir of the first White princess shall wed the current heir to the Mills Kingdom. They shall be tied in magic and true love. The lands shall reunite, and magic and wolf alike will be free to roam as they were meant. They shall bring peace to the lands once more.'_

 _For centuries following, the White Kingdom did everything in its power to ensure only male heirs were born. The White Wolf pack died out, the gene becoming dormant in the royals. The Mills' wolf became dormant. The wolves in the kingdom chose to swear fealty to their leader, but they'd found it best if their leader was able to run the kingdom to keep them safe instead of shifting unexpectedly._

 _In the time it took for the White Kingdom to have a princess, nearly four hundred years passed. Many generations who were familiar with the prophecy passed on. The wolves were greatly diminished in number. The prophecy a long forgotten lore. The magical elders didn't forget as they observed Queen Eva giving birth to King Leopold's daughter, Princess Snow White._

Twenty eight years later, the princess had wed and become queen, Her mother-in-law's sacrifice ensured she would bare life. King George of Pine Creek had not forgotten about the prophecy. He knew one day he would lose his power over slightly more than a quarter of territory in the Mills Kingdom. Despite his best efforts, little Emma Isidora White Nolan was born on October 23rd.

The White Kingdom over the past century had started allowing magical advisers into the castle. They couldn't leave their designated wing, and they were more slaves than anything, but they all knew what Emma's birth meant. Blue had been assigned as Faery godmother to the White family as soon as they'd opened their doors. She may hate them all , but this little baby was going to ensure the Whites of old never returned. To spite Snow, she gifted the babe the heart of the truest believer, something Snow couldn't refuse. It was the faery's way of sticking it to the queen.

Emma grew up to have her mother's pale skin and bright green eyes. Her blonde curls came from her father David, a simple shepherd forcibly turned prince. The little girl had an impish smile and a knack for causing trouble. As the girl began to walk, it became clear that little Emma enjoyed causing mischief despite her parents' best efforts.

On her third birthday, Emma showed the first glimpses of magical ability. Snow was trying to force her into a frilly pink dress bigger than the little girl. Emma wasn't having it. Everyone knew she didn't like pink, but Snow had insisted anyways. When Snow tried to force the dress on Emma, the tiny blonde's hand lit up in a white ball before the dress exploded like confetti pieces. Snow had the guards lock Emma in the wing of the castle sealed off for the magic users to prevent using unauthorized or unsupervised magic. The only room left was the windowless tower room Snow had tried to lock Regina Mills in once upon a time.

For two years, Emma was kept in the magic wing. There wasn't a lot of trouble to get into there, but Emma always managed it somehow. She blasted a chunk of the outer wall in the main room when she was five, just after her birthday. It was the last straw for Snow. She couldn't handle Emma anymore. She couldn't deal with all the questions on where Emma was or Emma questioning why she was locked in the tower, why she didn't love her. Out of all the children she could have had, how did she, a White, wind up with a magically errant daughter?

"Blue, I need you to tell me why Emma is like this. Why does she have magic? Why is she always causing problems? _We_ are the good ones, the heroes. Why is my daughter like this?"

The fairy grew annoyed at the White Queen. "You've locked her away in a tower with only one visit a fortnight if she's lucky, Your Majesty. Instead of trying to learn about Emma's magic and helping her control it, you've shut her away and deprived her of sunlight, fresh air, love, and compassion. How is a child supposed to learn to be decent if they don't have an example?"

"It's just who we are. It should be in her DNA."

"And it is, but there are several things in her DNA. Emma cannot control her magic without lessons. She cannot be so virtuous as you wish without receiving an unwavering example."

Dark brows furrowed as Snow started pacing the room. "What do you mean there are several things in her DNA?"

Blue stared pointedly at her. "I know history was never your passion, but did you listen to any lessons, Your Highness?"

"You will not insult me like this. I am your queen! Answer my questions immediately and properly."

Blue did her best not to roll her eyes. "The Fae prophecy." Snow stared blankly so Blue continued. "The last prophecy ever given by Maya Faye, mother of all magical faeries." More blank stares were received from Snow. "Child, sometimes I think that tutor was a waste for the lot good it did you. The heir of the first born princess to the White Kingdom is fated to the current heir of the Mills Kingdom. Emma is yours only in name. The start of her conception marked the day that Emma belonged to Regina. They will wed once Emma is of age and a thousand year old peace long lost will return once more. It will be a time of rejuvenation and peace, the joining together of the lands again to blend the magical and non magical. There will be no borders or magical assassinations under their reign."

"I'm not surrendering my child to the Evil Queen! She murdered my father!" Snow spun and glared at the fairy, her arms crossing over her chest, chin raising in defiance.

"You told her mother about Daniel and got him killed. I'd say the scales are even. A child isn't born evil, they're made evil. Locking your daughter in a windowless, soulless room and rarely visiting is a sure way to bring forth the darkness. Emma _could_ be well behaved and a hero if you took the time to invest in her."

"How dare you speak to me that way you insignificant moth! I am queen here! I love my daughter. I refuse to allow her to be given to _her._ I need to send her away. Fetch me Mulan."

Blue left the room and eavesdropped as Snow talked to the warrior. She didn't like Emma particularly as she was often the target of Emma's pranks, but the girl was savior to the magical creatures. She was going to break their cage, so she couldn't just let her get sent away.

Snow fumed. Emma had always reminded her too much of Ruth. She wasn't particularly fond of David's mother. She was too independent, too fiery, and refused to accept her place. She wanted to meddle in things that she had no business in. Emma was just as fiery, and had sass for days. The magic was too much for Snow. No White had ever had magic. It was specifically banned outside the ones she employed to keep the White Kingdom safe. She couldn't control Emma. Locking her away had been to keep Emma safe, as well as the people. Snow didn't want to send Emma away, but it was the only way to keep her from Regina.

Emma was juggling three small rocks. They were trolls from Arendale on loan to her mother. The trolls were wise and Emma learned a great deal about magical control from them, and about her destiny. Emma was fascinated by the Evil Queen. The few times she saw her mother, she was always going on about this evil woman who killed her grandfather. Emma always wanted to know more about her.

"What are you doing?"

Pretending to be startled, Emma sent the rocks tumbling down on top of Blue. "Oops."

Blue glared as the rocks popped open and climbed off her. "Princess Emma, you're in danger."

Emma shrugged, not at all alarmed about the statement. "I'm always in danger according to mother. What did I do now?"

"You know about Queen Regina." Emma nodded, attention instantly snapping to the faery. "Your mother is trying to send you away so that you can't bring peace to the lands and free the magical creatures. You must run, Emma."

"I'm five. Where can I run?"

"I can get you to the edge Forbidden Forest. If you can make it through there, the boundary to Queen Regina's castle is at the end. She will protect you. We have to go now. Otherwise your mother will send you to a land without magic and you won't ever get to be free, or help any of us."

"My stuff!" Emma protested as Blue dragged her to her feet.

"You have to leave it, Emma. We need to go! _Right now!"_

Emma conjured her blanket and her pocket watch. It had a mirror on one side and a clock on the other. It was one of her favourite possessions.

"I know you know the way out. Move, Emma!"

Rolling her eyes, Emma growled. "When we're free, I'm going to make you a target for my knife throwing."

Emma used magic to move the armoire. Behind it was a small hole in the wall. She crawled through it and moved it back into place once Blue was through. She didn't wait for the fairy as she crawled through the tunnel to one of the secret passageways. It took a few minutes, but Emma finally found the tunnel that led to the unlocked garden door on the perimeter wall.

It was dark by the time Blue and Emma made it to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. The moon was high and Blue knew the wolves would be out. Hopefully they'd smell Emma's wolf and leave her alone. She was bound to the White Kingdom and could go no further.

"Run, Emma. No matter what you do, don't stop running until you're in Queen Regina's kingdom."

"How will I know?"

"You'll know. Don't stop running. Go!"

Emma was scared, but she ran. She could use some magic here, but something was keeping her from using it fully. It was draining much quicker than normal. Her little legs didn't go very far very fast. In the middle of the night, the Forbidden Forest was even more terrifying. Twisted branches casted frightening shadows and produced snagging roots to trip even the nimblest creature. Menacing creatures lurked, but none dared to get close to the regal kid who reeked of wolf and magic.

Red was running through the forest when she heard a frustrated growl turned tiny howl. The full moon brought out her wolf, and she was supposed to be running. She couldn't ignore the cry for help though. It shocked Red to see a tiny blonde child all alone in the middle of the woods. The girl smelled of wolf. Perhaps she needed help transitioning. She trotted forward and nudged the girl with her nose.

"Nice wolfie. Don't hurt me. I'm Emma." Emma's first instinct was to run, but the feeling shortly fled and was replaced with a want to play. The wolf was nearly as tall as her, with dark fur and glowing yellow eyes. Slowly, Emma reached out and scratched the wolf between the ears, earning her a contented sigh.

' _I'm Red. I won't hurt you.'_

Emma wasn't sure if her mind was playing tricks on her or if this creature was magically conveying thought. She tied the blanket around her waist and looped the watch's chain around her neck before darting off after the wolf.

Together they played tag in the light of the moon, Emma completely forgetting her orders to run. The wolves around thought it odd, but they kept their distance. Emma was never one for playing gently though, and after a few rounds of tag. Red tried to take it easy on the little wolf girl, but the fourth tail yank was one too many. Losing control for a second, Red whipped around and snapped at the child, teeth sinking into Emma's arm.

Red quickly drew back and made to lick the wound as an apology. Emma growled and shoved the wolf away before poofing herself to a different part of the forest. She quickly found she was lost. Emma pulled out her pocket watch knowing the Evil Queen watched mirrors.

"Regina, are you there? I need help." Silence greeted her and Emma tried a few times before anything happened.

Back in the castle, the genie interrupted the queen's night reading. "Your majesty, a child is trying to call you through the mirror."

"A child? I do not know any child. What do they want?" Regina quirked a brow. No one dared call _her_ through the mirror. It was always her doing the calling in. She set down her book and stared expectantly at the mirror.

"I've no idea, but the girl is insistent she talk to you. What do you wish me to do? It looks like she's in the Forbidden Forest."

"Let her through. I'll entertain it just this once."

Regina watched as wide, fearful green eyes came into view. "Who are you?"

"Emma,. Please, Regina, I need to get to your castle. They're going to send me to a new realm. I need your help!"

"That is hardly my problem, dear. Why would I help a stranger?"

"I'm magic. My mother is trying to send me to a realm with no magic to avoid my destiny to you."

"To me? You're mistaken, child. I don't even know you."

Emma growled as she nearly tripped over another tree root. "Blue and the rock trolls tell me the same tale. I'm fated to you to bring the lands together when I'm of age. Magic will roam free once again, and we will both be happy. Please help! A wolf bit me and I fell in a mud puddle. My knee stings, and I forgot my shoes. It's scary. You have to help."

"I do not have to do anything. You're a complete stranger, and I do not trust Blue. You could be lying to me for all I know." Regina felt an odd pull towards this girl, and she didn't like it at all. A blonde curl fell in the girl's face as this Emma ran. Something was clearly wrong and all Regina wanted to do was reach through and pull her to safety. Which only made her feel the urge to lash out more.

A tree root snapped and a muffled "Get her!" was heard. Green eyes quickly up whipped up towards the sound. Soldiers surrounded Emma before she even knew what happened. "Regina! Regina, help me! They found me! Regina!"

The last thing Regina saw was terrified green eyes pleading for help as gruff voices shouted before the mirror went dark. She scrambled to restore Emma's image so she could save her, but the connection was well and truly severed.

Emma screamed as the guards closed in on her, leaving her no choice but to snap the watch shut and try to fight them off. Emma didn't know which guard finally grabbed her, but she found herself being dropped down a vortex that had sprung from a hat of all places. The guards dropped her as they hit solid ground, and she took off.

They had landed in the woods. Emma wasn't sure they were even in a different realm until she came upon a house that was all lit up. There wasn't any torches, so she wasn't sure what magic they were using, but she took her chances and went in. The few people in the diner were all large grown men, and one woman with brown hair and an odd looking white dress.

The woman rushed over to Emma. "Honey, are you alright? Where did you come from?"

Her gut told Emma that she could trust these people to keep her safe, so she put on her best performance yet. Tears filled her eyes anew and her bottom lip quivered. "Bad guys hurt me. They chased me in the woods. Don't let them get me!"

The men in the diner looked the kid over. There were leaves, sticks, and dirt in the girl's hair. Her body was coated in mud. Her knees were bleeding. She was barefoot, and her muddy footprints were coated red. There was a bleeding scratch on her cheek, and rips in her red pants and white top. Her arm looked to have some sort of bite. The clothes almost looked medieval, but then again it was Maine. A lot of people around here came to use the woods for LARPing and fairs. Maybe the girl ran away from the Renaissance Fair.

Snow's guards finally stormed in, causing Emma to yelp and cling to the woman as the men in the diner all stood up and blocked their paths. When swords were drawn by the guards guns were pulled out by the patrons. The guards were quickly corralled when one shot took down the most aggressive guard.

It took police nearly an hour to show up. The waitress introduced herself to Emma as Rachel and tried to get Emma to eat, but Emma wasn't having any of the strange concoctions put before her. The cook, Max, finally got Emma to eat a few rolls and slices of cheese.

The cops took Emma to the hospital. Emma was terrified. She'd never seen anything like it. A nurse brought them to a room where the cops took photos of her injuries before Emma's wounds got cleaned.

The nurse winced at how torn up the bottoms of Emma's feet were. "Child, were you running over barbed wire?"

Emma just shook her head no and tried not to scream at the pain. At home she was always punished for making noise. She just knew these people couldn't be told about home.

"I am not trying to hurt you, honey. We just need to get you cleaned up. Can I put you in the bath?"

Not knowing what a bath was, Emma didn't respond. The nurse removed Emma's clothes, careful of her knees and especially her arm.

"Honey, what bit you?"

Emma hissed as her open wounds contacted the warm, soapy water. She'd never had a bath before. One of the maids came in once a week and scrubbed her skin raw with a rag, but she'd never had anything like this before. If she wasn't hurt so, Emma was sure she might enjoy it.

The doctor dressed Emma's wounds and assessed her. He and the nurse were whispering quietly in the corner for a few minutes before he came back over. "Sweetheart, I've to clean your arm now. It's going to hurt okay? Try not to move."

It was difficult for Emma not to scream. Whatever they put on her arm burned, white foam exploded and oozed onto the floor. The wound began to bleed anew. Emma was shaking and trying to jerk away as the nurse held her in place.

The doctor was quick to dole out commands. "Lola, I'm going to need you to start an IV with amoxicillin-clavulanic. Get her a tetanus shot. Take some blood samples. I don't think she's ever had any vaccines. I need to know if I have to put her in isolation or not."

"What about her arm?"

"Keep it wrapped in gauze until the bleeding stops. Apply some polysporin. I'll reevaluate it in the morning."

Emma gave a low growl as the nurse wrapped gauze tightly around her arm before sticking something into her arm.

"Sorry, honey. I know it's never fun getting shots. Have you ever been to a doctor before?"

Shaking her head no, Emma clutched her now filthy blanket tighter. She watched as tubes filled with red from where the nurse had poked the needle into her arm.

Lola noted the fear in dark green eyes so she set about explaining everything she was doing. "Honey, I'm going to need your blanket."

"No!" Emma clutched it tighter to her chest, coating the sheets and her hospital gown in dirt.

"I'll give it back. I'm going to wash it so it isn't dirty anymore. Have you ever seen a TV?"

At Emma's head shake in the negative, Lola went about explaining the television to Emma and turned on some cartoons. "I'll bring it back soon, all clean and smelling nice."

A blonde woman walked in a while later holding Emma's blanket. The little blonde eyed her warily, sensing the magic about her.

"Hello. Are you Emma?"

Emma magicked her blanket to her, glaring skeptically at the woman. "Who are you?"

Ingrid smiled and stepped closer. "My name here is Sarah Fisher, but back home I went by Ingrid." She smiled at Emma's gasp.

"The Snow Queen. Grand Pabbie talked about you. Oh no! You work for Snow White too."

Ingrid watched as the heart rate on Emma's monitor spiked. "Sweet girl, I would never work for the White Kingdom. You know the rock trolls. Who are you?"

"Snow's my mother. She sent me here so I couldn't take away the magic borders when I am of age to marry." Emma pouted and sunk back into her bed.

"Who are you supposed to marry? You're just a baby."

Glaring, Emma practically shouted. She hated being called a baby. "I'm a big girl! Regina was supposed to be my wife, but she didn't want me either so the guards took me and brought me here. Don't let them get me. They'll hurt me."

Ingrid took time to assess Emma as she tucked a curl behind the girl's ear before stroking her cheek. "I won't let anyone hurt you, sweet one. You know I have magic. There's nothing in this mortal realm that will get to us."

"They'll never stop looking for me. You'll get hurt."

"We won't stay in Maine, Emma. There's a lot of world to discover in this realm. It's much larger than home. You can get there a lot faster than a horse and carriage too."

Emma's face lit up. "Horses? Can I finally see one? I was never allowed out of the castle."

"Your parents kept you locked in the castle?"

"No, they locked me in the magic tower. If I was good, I could go to the main magic hall if I'm good. People didn't like my magic tricks, and my mother got angry. She said I was bad, and couldn't be with everyone else anymore."

Anger bubbled and rose to the surface. Ingrid knew all too well what it was like to be disliked and feared for your magic. Her sisters had accepted her, initially at least. She couldn't imagine Emma being abandoned right from the start. "I will never make you feel bad for you magic, Emma. Magic is a gift, a wonderful part of you to be embraced and celebrated."

Ingrid accidentally brushed Emma's arm as she went to sit on the bed. Carefully she pulled up the sleeve of the gown that dwarfed the girl's small frame. "Baby, what happened?"

"Hurts. Heal me?"

"I can't when we're in here, but I will when we're out of here. What else hurts?"

Emma showed her the bandages on her knees and how cut up the bottoms of her feet were. "Blue wouldn't let me get my stuff. She said I had to run. My boots got left under my bed."

"I will get you all new stuff, Emma. I won't let you live with me without and personal items."

Green eyes widened. "I live with you?

"Of course, sweet girl. Why did you think I was here?"

Emma sighed, instantly saddened again. "Mother."

"Emma, that woman is a danger to all magical creatures. I'd never help her. The police called the Department of Children and Family Services who called me, so here I am. I'm especially glad I came now, because there's no one better to protect a magical baby princess than a magical queen."

Emma gave a warning growl. She needed to be understood. "I am a big girl. I'm five. Babies are little."

"Forgive me, my princess. You're a big girl."

"Blue and mother said there's no magic here. How?"

Ingrid just smiled, waving her hand to produce some snowflakes. "You are magic, Emma. It's a part of you. Just because you go someplace new doesn't mean that part just goes away. You have to have very strong magic though."

"Oh, I do. I have the best magic in the whole castle. Grand Pabbie was teaching me how to move someone else to me or away from me. He doesn't like it when I call it poofing. We just started though. You teach me?"

"You can teleport already?"

Emma waved her off. "Dats so easy. I was born doing that."

Ingrid chuckled as she regarded the tiny child. She looked about three and a half at most, definitely not five. Her wet hair was already curling up. Blues, greens, and grey made up her eyes. Ingrid had no doubt the colour changed with her mood. The pale white skin she obviously got from her mother. Luckily no one in this realm would ever question Emma not being hers.

"Can I do mirror magic here?"

"What?"

"Talk through mirrors. I need to tell Regina she's mean and I won't marry her no more. Mother was right. She's mean." Emma pointed to the bathroom where a mirror was.

Ingrid sighed. How could she get a baby to understand that Regina was one of the most complicated women in existence? "Child, I'm sure she had her reasons. You can try once we're in a safe place. Right now I need you to pick a name to tell the police men who are going to come talk to you. I doubt you want White as your last name."

Emma scrunched up her nose and shook her head no. She sat pondering a while before looking up excitedly at Ingrid. "Swan."

"Swan?"

"Yes, Swan. They were the last thing of the outside I saw before I got locked in the tower. They were pretty. The mother had babies and one was black and the others were gray. Grand Pabbie said that the mother loved her babies all even if one was different. I want to be a swan."

Ingrid carefully wrapped her arms around the girl. "Oh Emma, you are a swan. If you let me, I'll show you how a mother is supposed to treat her baby. You'll never feel caged or unloved again."

It took everything in Ingrid not to freeze everyone out of Emma's room when Lola came back in the next morning to clean Emma's wound. Emma whimpered and cried, tried to jerk her arm away. The little bicep was bright red, inflamed and clearly infected despite the antibiotics.

"What kind of bite is this?" Lola examined the wound, carefully turning and prodding the girl's arm. She'd never seen anything like this before, and she'd seen her fair share of dog bites.

"Can't you fix it? That's why Emma's here."

Ignoring the snappy blonde, Lola turned her attention to Emma's face. "I'll give you a lollipop once I clean it. It's going to hurt. I promise it'll be over soon."

Emma turned into Ingrid's body as she hid her face in her blanket. The burning pain radiating through her arm was the worst injury she'd ever had, and she couldn't use magic in here to make it go away.

"Shh, sweet girl. I'll heal you soon." The words were barely above a whisper in Emma's ear, but she heard them nonetheless. Ingrid smiled as she stroked Emma's hair. Already she had the girl's trust and affection. They were already on their way to being a little family.

The lollipop Lola gave Emma was like lighting a fuse in a mine field. Ingrid was not pleased at the developing sugar addiction. She went to grab Emma's blanket from underneath the pillow only to find at least a dozen sticks and wrappers from eaten lollipops.

"Ms. Fisher, can we have a moment?"

Emma pouted as Ingrid handed her to Lola. She liked the nurse, but she wanted to get out of this strange place and have her wounds healed already.

Ingrid gave Emma's hand a quick squeeze before stepping to the side with the officer. "What can I do for you?"

"The men we had in custody, we have to release them. Despite not having any identification, we can't hold them. There's been no claim on the girl from our canvas or the news coverage. They seem pretty intent on getting Emma, for whatever reason."

"So why are you letting them go? What if they come after her? It's your job to protect us."

The officer had the decency to look sheepishly apologetic. "Look, we can only do something if they do. You have a few hours before they're released. I recommend gathering your stuff and leaving the area for a while. Do you have family anywhere else?"

Ingrid sighed. This world's protection was useless. "I'll arrange it with the social worker." She gathered up Emma and rushed them out of the hospital, not wanting to waste another moment in getting Emma to safety.

 **SQSQSQ**

Meanwhile, back in the Enchanted Forest, Regina was panicking. It was rare that anyone rattled the queen so, but she couldn't stop thinking about those haunting green eyes. They plagued her every time she closed her eyes.

"CLIVE!"

Her head guard appeared quickly, nearly stumbling in his haste to enter the room. He kept his eyes downcast to avoid seeing the queen's personal chambers. "Yes, Your Majesty?"

"Fetch me Maleficent immediately. If she protests, tell her that the unicorn would make a lovely decoration for the front gates."

Maleficent rolled her eyes and was tempted to roast the guard who dared wake her from slumber, but Regina rarely summoned her. This should be good. With a flick of her wrist she dressed in her see-thru black teddy before poofing to Regina's bedchambers.

"It's about ti- what the hell are you wearing?" Regina's eyes bugged out at the dragon's unexpected apparel.

Mal pouted and sulked a bit. "Oh pity. Are we not going to mess up your pristine sheets tonight?"

Regina glowered. "I don't have time right now, fire breath. I need to know all you know on the Fae Prophecy and Snow's child."

Smirking wickedly as she circled Regina, Mal let out a humourless chuckle. "You finally want to know? You both have had centuries to care, to figure out a way. Instead, your family ignored it, and the White Kingdom murdered the few princesses that were born. What have you done, Regina?"

"It's true?"

Mal raised a brow at her former student. "Be more specific, dear. I don't have all night and I will leave if you keep in riddles."

"The child, Emma, she came in the mirror. She said her mother was sending her to a realm without magic, and asked for my help."

"Obviously you didn't, so the magical shift that rocked the kingdoms was your fault. Do you have any idea what you've done?" Mal sighed and glared at Regina. The woman was incredibly dense sometimes.

"What? No, I -"

"Regina, that wasn't just any child you let be taken away. That was the magical savior. She was going to free us all, to break the borders and allow us to be uncaged once again. You were going to get your happy ending, the rift between the founding families be mended. You sent away our hope. The shift has turned people from light and hope towards the darkness and despair. Sometimes you're absolutely dense."

Regina felt her anxiety boil over. Her voice rose a few octaves, coming out surprisingly whiny. "What'd I do? How do I get her back? I can't sleep. Every time I close my eyes, I see hers."

"Emma is five, barely sleeping through the night. She a far ways off from being of age to join you in marriage. You've access to other realms. Send the Huntsman."

"I have his heart. He'll never do it. He'll never bring me Emma."

Mal shook her head. Absolutely dense. "He will, because he is the wolf keeper. You're Queen of the Wolves, but he is keeper. The wolves have your loyalty and respect. They trust him to advise them and pass on your messages. They love him like any dog loves their trainer. The chance to bring the White Wolf home, to resurrect the extinct race, He'll find her and bring Emma home. I've heard tales from the magical grapevine about how Snow and her idiot treat that poor little girl. She'll be happy in a land where she can be herself without banishment and punishment."

"Snow abandoned the baby she has been talking her whole life about having? Why?"

"Do keep up, dear. The girl has magic. She's been locked in the tower, you remember the tower don't you? She's been locked in there for three years. A month after she turned two, Emma was at the royal wedding for Aladdin and Jasmine when she made the monkey throw the food at the guests. Snow tried to cover it up, but there was talk. There's still talk, so she had Emma locked away."

Regina launched herself at Maleficent, fists curling into the sides of the blonde's teddy and shaking the woman. "What else do you know about Emma?"

Mal laughed and dislodged Regina from her before magicking herself a robe. "Darling, my information doesn't come free. If you want to know more about the Savior, it's going to cost you."

"Whatever you want, fine. Is she safe right now?"

Fearful brown eyes blinked at her expectedly. Mal thought about messing with Regina, but the blatant fear wasn't something she'd ever seen before. "If she was dead, there'd be no light magic left. The White Kingdom would finally have the power to overthrow you, to kill out all the magic. Emma's alive, though I don't know what state she is in. Getting bit by a werewolf, even if was necessary, can't be pleasant."

"Emma is okay, then? All I have to do is send the Huntsman to look for her? I'll send my best men, all that I can spare. I will not have my happy ending taken from me again. I _will_ get her back if it's the last thing I do."

"Sit, dear. We've a lot to discuss. There's much to know about Emma and her many prophecies."

 **SQSQSQ**

Emma and Ingrid bounced around for the next decade. They never stayed in one place for longer than a few months. They'd both had such broken hearts, that it took a while for them to trust fully that the other loved them. Over the years, they'd grown to be a more solid unit than Lorelai and Rory.

Ingrid finally found a place that both she and Emma liked when Emma was fifteen. They'd gone to Hopkins, Minnesota of all places. It had a moderate climate with enough winter months for Ingrid to feel comfortable. It was quiet enough for them to both to practice magic some.

Neither had to worry much. It'd been years since they last had Snow's guard onto them. They'd made friends. Ingrid signed Emma up for fencing and self defense classes. She didn't want her baby unprepared to fight in any way possible. Both were excited to set down roots finally.

At least they had peace for two years before all hell broke loose.

"Mama, can I bring Becca over after school? We've got a project to work on."

"Baby, you know tonight is our night to celebrate your birthday."

"Oh, right. Do we have to? We could just hang without the whole birthday thing, yeah?"

"Emma, we always have a cupcake and movie night on your birthday. It's tradition."

Sighing, Emma agreed. They didn't have many traditions, weren't able to with all the moving. She knew how much it mattered the few they did have. After school, Emma rushed home, excited to see her mom.

Ingrid hugged Emma close. when she came home. Something had just felt off about today, despite being her daughter's seventeenth birthday. She couldn't believe her daughter was always had dinner, popcorn, movies, and ended the night with a cupcake. She would never tire of this.

Together they sat on the sofa with their heart shaped grilled cheese sandwiches, sweet potato fries, and popcorn.

"Ma, we can watch The Nightmare Before Christmas?"

Ingrid shook her head in amusement. "You and that movie. Alright then. Hit play."

Emma laughed and nudged Ingrid's shoulder with hers. "You knew I'd pick this one all along."

"You have for the past six years, baby. It'd only make sense you did again this one."

Regina's guards had been tracking Snow's, determined to close in on the girl before them. They'd gone over six years without any luck in sighting the princess. Something about tonight, the seventeenth name's day, felt different. The girl finally came of age. They couldn't let the White guard hurt her.

Ingrid pulled out a giant chocolate cupcake and a blue star candle as the credits rolled on the movie. She lit the candle before hugging Emma tightly. "Happy birthday, sweet girl. I love you. Make a wish."

"Love you too, Mama." Emma hugged back before going to lean over the candle.

Before Emma could blow out the candle, the alarms triggered on the protection spells surrounding their house. Ingrid jumped up, ever stoic as her magic flared.

Emma stood up, face full of panic. She didn't want to run again. She liked it here. Most of all she didn't want to lose her mom. The fear was evident in her voice when she called out for Ingrid.

The front door shattered as it was kicked in. Ingrid turned to face Emma for a second, ice blue eyes conveying all her emotions.

"Run, baby."


	2. Chapter 2

" _Run, baby."_

These words played over and over again as Emma ran. She hated running. This place finally felt like home, and she had to run again. Emma mostly hated the fact that she had to run while her mom stayed behind. It was a cowardly, weak thing to do. Twenty minutes into running Emma couldn't take it anymore. She had to go back for her mom. Turning around, she sprinted back in the direction she'd just come from.

Just as she reached the edge of her neighbourhood, a brunette woman carrying a rather large bag ran at her. "You're going the wrong way. The entire block is on fire. Run the other way!"

Emma ignored her, doubling her efforts to get back to Ingrid.

"Wait! Are you Emma?"

"There's over a million Emma's in the world, lady. It's possible."

Turning her back on the woman again, Emma tried to make her way through the neighbourhood only to find herself kissing pavement. It took a few seconds to reorient herself. Emma could feel her knees were bleeding through the new holes in her jeans. Her ribs ached. "What the hell!"

Belle honestly felt bad for hurting the girl, but it didn't seem like Emma would go with her willingly. Regina had told her to do whatever was necessary to get her to the castle. "Sorry, but we must go."

Emma balked as the woman dropped a bean on the ground and the street opened up into a giant hole. She and the woman were dropped unceremoniously in the middle of the forest. She beat the woman to her feet and used her magic to immobilize the woman. "Who are you and where did you just take me?"

"I, I'm Belle. We're back home in the Enchanted Forest."

Emma was furious. She stormed up, just an inch from the woman's face, arms flailing. "This isn't my home! My home is with my mom back in Minnesota. What did you do? Take me back."

Belle tried to struggle but it got her nowhere. "I can't. I've orders to take you to the castle."

"No! I'm never going back to another castle. I'm not a prisoner anymore."

Emma ran. She didn't know what else to do. There was no way she'd ever go back to the White castle. She'd rather die than be locked in the tower again. Ingrid didn't cover lessons extensively on the Enchanted Forest, never thinking there'd be future need, but Emma knew that to get to Arendelle all she had to do was keep running north west until she came to a frost line. She'd be safe in her mother's kingdom.

A guard greeted Belle at the wall of the castle. "Did you get the Princess?"

"I did, but she ran away into the forest. The queen failed to mention she has magic. I wasn't prepared."

"I'll send some men out to find her. Have Graham put the other wolves on alert to stay away from the girl if they come across her."

It had been so long since Emma had last been in the Enchanted Forest, and it had been night the last time. It looked completely different, and she had no idea where she was running or how long before she stepped in a trap.

"Mother fucker! Oh gods!" Emma instantly collapsed on the ground as the searing pain of metal teeth pierced her calf. The damn thing wouldn't budge with magic or by Emma trying to rip it off.

The guards from both the White Castle and the Perigean Palace were alerted instantly that one of the traps had been sprung. It was a battle of horses and the guards raced to see who'd get there first. In a last ditch effort, Emma called on all her magic to hide herself. Only the closed trap was visible, and when the White knights circled the area and determined nothing seemed to be there, they reset the trap.

Emma waited until she felt her former mother's knights truly left before crawling across the forest floor. She was unaware of the wolves hidden in the forest, following her smell a great distance behind. Hazel eyes tracked the trail of fresh blood and the distinct rustling of the forest floor. Emma used the last of bit her magic to send herself into a cave at the edge of the woods she'd seen.

"Go get her, but do not harm her. The Queen will have your heads if she's further injured." Graham paced, upset he'd lost the princess temporarily. Getting one of those vicious traps closed around her leg had to be excruciating. He couldn't imagine the pain Emma would be in, or what horrible punishment they'd all be in for letting her get hurt.

The wolves came back and led Graham and the other Dark Knights to Maleficent's cave. The dragon didn't really frequent it anymore once her egg had hatched empty, but that didn't stop them all from thinking twice before entering.

"There's no one here, Captain. The cave is completely empty."

"Search again, Drake. The princess has magic. She can hide herself."

Graham watched as one of the older female wolves circled a spot, sniffing heavily, before curling up around what seemed to be an air pocket. Pulling the fairy dust vial from his pocket, Graham blew it over the area revealing a bloodied and bruised blonde teenager.

"What do we do with her? Her leg, there's no way she can walk."

The knights stood around uselessly in a huddle all staring at the White princess. Some looked mildly interested. Some looked bored. Others still looked genuinely unimpressed that this was their Queen's happiness.

Graham blew some more dust, hoping it would keep the princess asleep while he transported her. Emma's clothes were torn. She had cuts and scrapes from climbing over rocks on the forest floor. Her leg was losing a lot of blood. She needed to be taken to the palace immediately. He scooped her up, surprised at how light she was, before ordering them all to follow back to the palace.

Emma awoke mid walk, delirious from loss of blood, sleep, and drained magic. She thought she saw a scruffy man carrying her. "Who are you? Where are you taking me?"

"You're dreaming, Princess. Go back to sleep." The slurred speech concerned Graham, and he made haste to move as quickly as possible without jarring Emma awake again.

Graham was almost at the castle gate when Emma woke up. Emma instantly started to fight him. Elbows, fists, knees, and feet connected all over Graham's body until he dropped her. Glowing green eyes stared at him as Emma lost herself to her wolf's control. He looked to the other wolves around for help, but they all whimpered and cowered, running away to leave him and a few guards.

Emma wasn't sure what the hell was going on, but there was no way she was setting foot in a castle again without a fight. There were only a handful of guards around, most the wolves fleeing when her inner beast took over. Baring her teeth, she waited to see which idiot made the first move.

 **SQSQSQ**

Regina was worried. She was trying to secure an ally in Arendelle when news had gotten to her of Emma's arrival. It wouldn't take but another day to secure so she'd sent Red to greet her, but something felt completely wrong. When immense pain shot through her, Regina knew she had to go. Elsa wasn't pleased, but there would be potential for this deal another time.

"Stay. We're almost done, and then you can run along to your latest playmate."

"Elsa, watch yourself. The Savior is back. I trust my staff, but I don't trust them with her. I must go. I'll return once I've visited Emma personally."

A white blonde brow rose. "You managed to bring back the girl who is supposed to save magic? I wouldn't trust her with my staff either. I'm sure her mother will be trying to secure her soon. Go then. Be back when you've assessed her safety. I would like to think that this alliance is as important to you as it is to me."

"Very much so. I shall be back once I know the princess is safe."

Elsa watched Regina disappear in a cloud of purple smoke. She had grown quite close to the queen of Luna Mare. Regina had gone from a well feared queen to someone akin to a lost puppy to those who knew her well. She'd spent years researching Emma's prophecies and how she could help once the princess returned to this realm. No one, maybe aside from Maleficent, knew how much stress Regina put herself under berating herself and trying to be the best possible person for when the girl returned. Others still faced Regina's rath often, and the woman was still feared, but a handful knew how much she'd changed. Elsa just hoped the girl gave her another chance.

Regina knew she couldn't really access her magic much in the frozen state of Arendelle, but she could still transport to Rocinante who would take her to through the forest. Once she crossed the border she'd be able to poof them both home. Her treaty with Elsa was so important to help spread magical abilities between kingdoms. She'd wanted to get it done before Emma made it back, but time had gotten away from her. She'd been consumed with learning everything she could of the possible futures for Emma and all her prophecies. When her guards had finally told her they located Emma, she'd been scrambling to make her alliances and try to make the Enchanted Forest into the best possible for Emma. Elsa was one of her last alliances needed to secure a realm of nearly free magic use so her princess could feel safe.

As Regina finally made it across the border she felt Emma's pain and panic. Not wasting anymore time, she poofed herself and Rocinante home.

"Marco, take care of Rocinante. Full bath and a few apples. He will be needed in a few days to make the journey again."

Guards parted as she walked to the front entrance of her castle. It struck her as odd that none of her staff would look her in the eye. Sure most of them feared her wrath, but they'd never gone out of their way to avoid her. "BELLE!"

It took a few moments before the bookworm appeared. The girl had been most helpful in her research regarding Emma. It was just an added bonus that she helped tame Ruby's wolf. She'd never seen Belle this nervous in all the years she'd known her. Surely this couldn't be good.

"Yes?"

"Where is my princess?"

Belle bit her lower lip and wrung her hands together. She knew her queen wasn't going to like the answer. They'd been given direct orders not to let Emma escape or wander alone, but there was nothing they could do to contain the violent, magical girl. Tasha had found her. When the wolves and the guards attempted to bring her back to the castle, Emma's wolf seemed to take over Emma's mind, and she'd lashed out nearly killing several before they'd contained her. Graham lost his hold on her again, and now she was gone.

"Belle, I won't ask again. Where is my princess? What happened?"

Graham emerged, hobbling and holding his bandaged ribs. He'd been alerted Regina crossed the border, and it'd taken him nearly an hour to walk from the infirmary to the entrance. He couldn't let anyone else face the queen's wrath because of his failure. "Your majesty, if I may?"

Regina eyed the seemingly severely wounded Huntsman. "What's wrong with you? Is Emma alright?"

"Patience asked to hear me out before you react, Your Majesty."

Sighing, Regina nodded. This definitely wasn't good. She sent out her magic in search of her Emma while Graham spoke.

"Belle was successful in bringing the princess here. The girl was extremely uncooperative and frightened though and ran off into the woods before we could bring her to the castle. She got caught in one of Snow's traps. Her leg is pretty badly inured. Our guards and the wolves did manage to locate her though. Clever girl used the last of her magic reserve at the time to cloak herself, but the wolves tracked her down. On our attempt to secure the princess and bring her to safety, her wolf seemed to take control of her body and she attacked us. A half dozen guards and seven wolves are in the infirmary."

"Is everyone alive? Where's Emma?"

Graham and Belle looked at each other nervously, debating to share the news with the queen or not. Regina, however, had grown extremely agitated by the end of the story. Her magic wasn't locating Emma. She could feel the princess's frustration, and hearing the story didn't help her nerves any. She raised her hand towards Graham and squeezed just a little, threatening his oxygen supply.

Belle took a step forward trying to plead with the Queen. "Regina, Your Majesty, please don't! It's not his fault."

"What isn't his fault, Isabelle? Where is Emma?"

Graham took a few seconds to regain his breath. "Isaac is near death, as are Tomas and Irina. The princess seems to have no control when feeling cornered. The healer is obviously overwhelmed and is awaiting Maleficent's help."

"One more chance and I rebreak your clearly damaged ribs, Huntsman. Where is my princess?" Regina's hands curled into fists in a futile attempt to contain her anger.

"She's gone."

Regina understood the inability for simple humans to be powerless against magic, but her staff should be better trained than this. Her ire rose quickly. "Did anyone bother to tell her she's in Perigean Palace and not the White Castle?"

Graham and Belle looked at each other. It was Belle who spoke. "We were concerned about our safety. I don't believe anyone did. Is that significant?"

"You are absolutely dense for someone who reads all day. It would make all the difference in the world to the little girl who was last in this realm and trapped in her mother's castle. She thinks she's in the White Kingdom about to be held prisoner again. It would have made all the difference in the world to her. You are responsible for any deaths Emma may cause the injured then. Had you simply told her that this wasn't the White Kingdom, I'm sure the princess would have been more compliant."

Graham frowned, not understanding why it would have made a difference. "With all due respect, our armour is different. Our crests are different. The castles look nothing alike. We were in a battle for our lives. No one wants to be near her."

"Idiots. I don't know why I employ any of you if I have to do everything myself."

Regina stormed off to the entrance to the castle. The guard standing at the door to the entrance quickly disappeared after opening the door. She didn't want to be anywhere near when the queen when her anger was this high.

A few guards milled around the open square. Their eyes widened when they were frozen in place by the Queen's magic. The people milling about in the square all gathered around as more and more knights and wolves were brought into the middle of the square and suspended mid air by magic.

"Gather round. Don't be afraid. It's going to be quite a show." Regina gave an evil smirk and waited for the rest of her servants to assemble before tossing the incompetent guards around. Their shrieks and flailing attempts at grounding themselves thrilled her.

"What have they done, Your Majesty?" Her people were used to punishment whether it was deserved or not, but nearly all the wolves and the guards was not a usual sight.

Regina took in the awe and delight of her staff not imprisoned and her smirk grew. For all that she'd changed in twelve years, a part of her would always delight in deserved torture. "Take a good look at these incompetent morons. Huntsman, tell my staff here who arrived today."

Graham hissed and struggled as the queen's magic felt like it was landing blow after blow all over his body. Grimacing, he dared look Regina dead in the eye. "The Princess Emma."

The crowd gasped and quickly looked around trying to locate the newcomer they'd been busting their asses to make the already pristine palace even more immaculate for. Regina enjoyed the build up of anticipation. "Do continue with your information. Tell the people where the princess is." Silence stretched and she grew a little irked. "Now, Huntsman!" She squeezed a little to constrict his throat in a warning of disobeying her again.

"We, we let her run off. She's gone."

"That's right. I employ you all to protect me and this kingdom. I tasked you to devote yourselves to bringing the princess safely to the palace and keep her happy until I arrived. Is she safe Huntsman?"

"No."

"Is she happy?"

"How should I-" Regina squeezed and Graham's oxygen got cut off again. He started to struggle when the magic didn't let up. "No!"

Satisfied, Regina let the Huntsman drop to the hard ground. He crumpled in a heap, and she grinned wickedly. Him hurting curbed her anger just slightly. "That's right. The princess is out there, injured, scared, and alone. You all had such a simple job, and yet you all failed. While I go secure the princess, you get to endure the lovely beating until I return with her. The rest of you get back to work. I won't have Emma coming into a home that's less than perfect. Every stone must shine. Have her bedchamber cleaned and dressed in the finest we have. If I come back and I'm not pleased, you will all be out here on display."

Horror and shock appeared on the faces of her guards that they'd be outside day and night enduring this torture until the queen returned with her princess. It was supposed to storm soon. They'd all surely catch their death outside.

"Your majesty, the storm."

Regina quirked a brow. "The princess is out in the elements all alone with no knowledge of this land or where she is. Are you telling me that shelter is worthy of peasants and animals, but not royalty?"

The scullery maid quickly shook her head no and tried to make herself invisible lest she found herself facing the queen's wrath. Mae had been with the queen for only a few months, and she'd yet to really understand why everyone feared the queen.

Using magic, Regina changed her blood red dress into black leather riding pants, knee high black boots, and a crimson fitted riding jacket. She poofed Maleficent to her, noticing that her staff was all gaping at. "Don't you all have jobs to do?"

Maleficent watched Regina's servants quickly scatter. She raised an eyebrow to the knights and wolves suspended in air writhing in pain, but she wasn't about to question that. She had a more pressing concern. "Why am I here, Regina? Decide to go a more familiar route now that you're actually closing in on the unknown princess?"

"Must it always be sex with you? Emma is out running amuck in the forest injured. We need to find her before Snow does or something much worse. Gods only know what trouble she could get herself into. I need your help to find her."

The statement garnered Maleficent's full attention. "Injured how? Did your guards go rogue again?"

"Emma was running away and got herself stuck in one of Snow's traps. I don't know how she's running around right now. Graham used faery dust on her too. The poor girl is probably hallucinating from an overload of magic and blood loss."

"Mhmm, and how many did the powerful alpha put in the infirmary?"

Regina sighed. She was proud of Emma, but worried for her, and for her much needed staff. "Several, a few near death. They don't get to live unless Emma does, so you're coming with me."

"You cannot afford to lose them. Let me go heal them. They can always be dealt with later if Emma decides to become ogre bait."

"You have two hours and then I expect you to join me. Emma is the priority."

Maleficent pulled Regina into a hug, attempting to calm the queen. "Remember not to spook her. I'd hate to assist you later only to find you half dead. Whether she's wolf or human, there's going to be no mistaking her alpha status Respect her beast. You've a lot to atone to her for. The last thing you want to do is piss her off more."

If it were anyone but Maleficent Regina would have fireballed a person for being so bold as to tell her what to do. This was about Emma though, and no one knew more about Emma than Maleficent. Finding Belle, Regina insisted the girl show her the path Emma had taken.

 **SQSQSQ**

Emma had no clue where she was. She'd depleated most of her magic. Her leg was bleeding badly. The man who had been carrying her earlier had used some sort of magic that made her feel delirious. Northwest. She had to find northwest and get to Arendelle. Scouring the trees, she finally found one with moss on it to use as directional. Emma felt like she'd been walking for hours before she came to a break in the land. The only way across without using her magic was the decrepit stone bridge.

"Halt. Where do you think you're going?"

Emma froze and watched in terror as a monstrous sized beast rose from under the bridge. The inhuman male had to be at least seven feet tall with grey skin, long stringy hair, and jagged teeth. It almost looked like Frankenstein gone wrong.

"Who are you and what is your business here?"

"Just looking to cross. I need to get somewhere… somewhere else."

The beast appraised Emma, and she couldn't help but shiver in fear. There was going to be no good outcome from this and she was clearly at a disadvantage.

"Not gonna happen, little girl. We take jewels, but no one crosses."

Frowning, Emma looked around tried to figure out what to do. She'd never been a jewelry person. The only pieces she wore were necklaces her mother had given her. The only one with any sort of stone in it was the snowflake, but she wasn't giving any of them up. "What if I promise to bring you as many diamonds as you like once I reach my mother's kingdom?"

"Ha! You'll never come back. We're not stupid."

"If I make it safely to my mother's kingdom, my mother will ensure you're rewarded properly. Please."

The thing stepped closer and Emma quickly stepped backwards. "Who is your mother that you can promise such things?"

Emma frowned, unsure how the news would go over. Her mother had been missing longer than she'd been alive. "Ingrid, Queen of Arendelle. She would be most gratuitous if you helped ensure my safety to her kingdom."

"Boys, get up here!" Emma's eyes widened in panic when she noticed two more foreboding creatures emerge from under the bridge. "This girl thinks her mother is the lost queen of Arendelle. She fancies herself a princess."

The trolls laughed and moved to encircle Emma. Emma wanted to shut her eyes and call on her magic, but cutting off a sense in the middle of a battle was a sure death. Instead, green eyes narrowed and kept all three in her sight as she frantically searched her mind for possible solutions.

The tallest troll moved closer to Emma, jabbing a meaty finger against her chest hard. Emma knew it'd bruise, but at this point what was one more so long as she survived? "Royal blood is the sweetest of them all. There's not much to this sapling, but I do need a snack to tide me over."

The shortest one, nearly a head shorter than Emma went to move forward before backing up again. "There's no fun in murdering the wounded. Give her an hour and we'll find her dead without having to do the work."

"I want food now."

Emma watched the three begin to argue. She felt a familiar stirring inside her and smiled. Her wolf instincts were going to take over once again. Her healing must be doing enough for the beast to feel confident in taking charge. ' _Trolls, Emma, can be taken care of by using the faery dust coating you to transform them into harmless things easy to kill.'_

Listening to her wolf, Emma allowed her eyes to slip closed briefly as she focused her energy on the task. When she reopened them, the intimidating bridge trolls now resembled the troll figurines she was more familiar with; nakid with a gemmed belly, and brightly coloured crazy hair. The best part to Emma was that they were only a foot tall. The one with neon green coloured hair charged at her, fists raised. Emma didn't hesitate to haul off and kick the thing, launching it into the ravine far below the bridge. The other two wised up and scrambled for safety.

After crossing the bridge, Emma allowed her abused body to shift into her wolf. She needed a break, to heal, and she could do that much faster as a lycanthrope than as a human. It was somewhat easier to hobble around on three legs than it was on one.

The forest was just as rough as she remembered from when she was five. Sharp rocks ripped tears in her feet. Loose dirt, hidden holes, and tree branches caused her to stumble. Some animals ran from her while others chose to challenge her. Emma's wolf refused to back away from a challenge, even as injured as she was. It felt forever before Emma thought she found a safe place. Boy was she wrong.

The ground trembled and rocked, animals fled in all directions. Emma had no idea what was happening until an ogre stumbled through, ripping out trees to clear a path along the way. Emma found herself backed into a very large tree surrounded by small broken rocks. Her wolf seemed to know that an ogre tracked prey by sound, not sight, but it somehow knew she was there.

"Mmm, royal blood. Fun to kill you."

The damn thing barrelled right for Emma. She didn't have a sword to throw or a bow and arrow to shook. Her magic was still not regenerated enough to help. Frantically looking around, Emma noticed the rough edges of the rocks could be sharp enough if she had the proper angle to use it. Damn her wolf not having thumbs. It was time consuming to shift back into her human form, what little healing she'd done while traveling cancelled out. Emma grabbed the rock with the sharpest point and waited.

"No clothes. How thoughtful. I hate picking shirt from teeth."

The ogre grabbed Emma roughly, delighting in the cracking sound her ribs gave. "You smell delicious."

"What the hell is with everyone wanting to eat me? So fucked up."

When the thing leaned down to smell Emma's hair, Emma took that as her opportunity and rammed the rock straight into the grotesque eyeball. The ogre smelled like rotting garbage left in the baking sun for three weeks. It didn't release Emma though as it staggered and stumbled. Fearing she was going to be crushed, Emma bit and clawed until she was unceremoniously dropped onto the harsh rocks below. She barely scrambled out of the way as the ogre fell, it's head landing a hairsbreadth from Emma's foot.

"I'm quickly remembering how much I hated this fucking realm."

Emma tried to breathe slowly as she assessed her damage. Her leg wasn't doing well. The bottoms of her feet and palms of her hands were torn to shreds. More than a few ribs were cracked. There were aches and pains all over her body. There were deep scratches in her right arm from the ogre's fingernails. Emma was glad there were no mirrors around. She could only assume she looked like shit. Sighing, Emma saw no choice but to continue on to find a safe spot to hunker down as the sun was quickly setting. There was no way she'd survive a night in the open in this state.

Another hour and the sun was nearly set. A stream was a few feet away, but Emma wasn't sure if she should bathe at present. No sun meant no warmth. No warmth meant freezing dry. She did go for a drink though before finding a large tree that was tall enough to hide her. It had a large y base. Emma risked using the small bit of magic she'd regenerated to clothe herself and get up into the tree.

 **SQSQSQ**

"We've been searching for hours. Emma couldn't have made it this far without magic and injured." Belle was exhausted. They'd been walking nearly all day. All she wanted to do was go back to the castle and curl up with her own wolf.

Regina ignored the girl's whining. She was just as exhausted, but it was entirely possible Emma could have travelled the distance of the forest. They'd been following the trail of blood. She'd used magic to highlight the path so they could follow.

Maleficent joined them just after lunch, the sun high in the sky. "What'd I miss? Are you _still_ searching? It's been three and a half hours."

"I know, but it seems my princess has more endurance than expected. So far we've seen half a dozen slaughtered chimera, a few dead snakes, and-"

"What the hell are those naked hair mops?"

Regina wasn't expecting to be interrupted, but Maleficent's outburst was odd. She had absolutely no idea what the two tiny, naked beings with neon hair were.

"They're troll dolls come to life. A troll doll is a toy in the land without magic. At least we know Emma's been here." Belle was pleased her knowledge could be helpful after she'd failed her queen so much today.

Maleficent extracted the memories from the trolls and showed Regina what happened. The two sorceresses exchanged a worried look at Emma's state before hurrying on. It was another few hours before they came across the deceased ogre. The blood drops they were following had become puddles, and it terrified Regina.

"She's in a bad way, Regina. You go on and find her. I'm going to bring Belle back with me and prepare a few potions to keep her subdued and to aid healing. Get her back as soon as possible. The poor girl must be in a lot of pain." Maleficent grabbed Belle's hand and poofed them to the castle before Belle could voice a protest.

Regina trekked on for another few hours, worried about the setting sun. She'd been following Emma's footprints, massive wolf prints, and now back to footprints. She had no idea what the girl was thinking, but the transitions certainly would have drained her energy. She neared the edge of the border of Lunar Mare and couldn't help be amazed how far Emma had traveled. Why Emma wanted to get to Arendelle she didn't know, but Regina hoped she hadn't crossed the stream to the mountain pass or she'd have to go finish her deal with Elsa before finding Emma.

Calling on her magic, Regina finished tracking Emma to the tree. It took a few minutes for her to realize Emma was far above sightline. Taking a few moments, she admired and appraised the girl curled up in the tree. Emma's whimpering brought her out of her reverie. Carefully, she brought Emma down to the forest floor with magic.

Emma felt the air change, felt foreign magic surrounding her. Green eyes snapped open, entire body alert to find chocolate coloured eyes staring down at her. The woman was smiling, her face familiar.

"Hello again, dear."


End file.
